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British mixed martial arts is on the agenda again as Dave O’Donnell’s Ultimate Challenge presented their latest show Invincible, shown on a four day delay on Sky Sports here in Britain this past Wednesday night.

The show began with heavyweight action as Ian Hawkins went up against Mark Potter.

A controversial fight saw Potter cut his taller and heavier opponent down to size with some great body shots. But Potter went too far and kicked Hawkins in the head as he slumped to the ground.

The referee quickly stepped in and disqualified Potter straight away. Potter would surely have won but for that moment of madness.

It was down to the middleweight division for the next fight as Earl Brown faced Jake Bostwick.

Sadly we only got highlights from the first round, and there wasn’t much from the second because Bostwick connected with a big right that knocked Brown out cold, giving Bostwick the KO win. You have to wonder if the near twenty year age difference was too much for Brown to overcome.

After a highlights package from some of the other fights it was on to featherweight action as Tom Dixon took on John Kelly.

A fast paced fight saw both men going all out from the start. Kelly looked like he was going to overwhelm his teenage opponent early on, especially after a big slam, but Dixon came back well, opening up a cut on the bridge of Kelly’s nose.

Round two didn’t last long. A big left from Kelly sent Dixon crashing out before he hit the ground, taking home the knockout win.

Then it was up to lightweight as Brad Wheeler faced Francis Heagney.

A nice technical ground battle saw Heagney get the early take down after a four shot combination, and from there he all but dominated. Wheeler went for a couple of submission attempts but Heagney escaped easily, and with his ground and pound going unanswered towards the end of the round the referee wisely stepped in and gave Heagney the TKO win.

Welterweight action followed as Edgelson Lua took on Jamaine Facey.

This proved to be another great ground battle. Lua put in some good work in the first round, but the extraordinary moment when he took Facey’s back and synched in a rear naked choke, keeping the choke on for what seemed like an eternity. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Facey managed to escape.

They continued with the ground work in the second round with more transitions and reversals before Facey took Lua’s back and unleashed with the ground and pound. Lua failed to respond and it wasn’t long before the referee stepped in and saved him from further punishment, giving Facey the impressive TKO win.

The main event saw Valentino Petrescu challenge Jimi Manuwa for the Light Heavyweight title.

A great striking battle began with both fighters testing the waters early on, but as the fight progressed Manuwa had great success with some knees from the clinch, which set him up for the quick combinations that sent Petrescu crashing to the ground, giving the Poster Boy the title retaining KO win.

In conclusion – on the same night that a certain middleweight fight was happening Dave O’Donnell and his crew once again proved something that we’ve known for some time – that Ultimate Challenge is the best MMA promotion in Britain right now.

All the fights here were highly enjoyable, and I was pleased that we didn’t see any of the UK1 kickboxing fights that drag the show down a little.

So in all another good show, and here’s looking forward to their next outing in September.

We’re going to take another look at British mixed martial arts as I take a final dip into the pile of DVDs that Fight Factory’s Tom Tailford sent me.

This time we’re going to look at the debut (and so far only) show from the Atlas Fighting Championship promotion, held at the Lighthouse in Pool in August 2008, and featuring Tom “Kong” Watson in the main event.

The action began with Lee McKibbin going up against Gareth Burbridge. A fast paced fight saw McKibbin score with the first take down, although Burbridge soon tied him up and immobilised him.

It wasn’t long before Burbridge reversed positions, but McKibbin countered by going for an arm bar, and after Burbridge slammed his way out McKibbin had no answer to his ground and pound, with the referee saving him from further punishment, giving Burbridge the impressive TKO win.

Then it was on to Simon Hull against Dan Edwards. Another fight that began with the quick take down, this time from Edwards. Hull looked a bit lost as Edwards took his back with ease, although he soon managed to escape.

Both fighters soon returned to their feet, and after some wild shots from Hull Edwards unloaded with the big stuff, and a high kick connected to Hull’s head, sending him crashing down to the mat and giving Edwards the nice knockout win. As for Hull he looked very rough around the edges.

The big boys were up next as Jeremy Rowlett faced Pao Zoro. Two very inexperienced fighters here. Rowlett was making his debut, and was giving up seventy pounds to his French opponent.

No ground work here to speak of, just a bit of wild swinging, with Rowlett getting the better of this particular duel as Zoro fell to the ground in stages. Rowlett followed him down, and quickly sealed the deal with a knockout win, with Zoro receiving medical treatment for several minutes afterwards. Well, it was a bit messy, not the most technical fight I’ve seen, but Rowlett got the win nonetheless

Daniel Abrol took on Nayeb Hezam next. The fourth fight in a row not to make it out of the first round saw some good ground work from Hezam, quickly taking Abrol’s back and synching in a rear naked choke for the submission win. Now while Hezam looked great, Abrol looked equally as bad.

Phil Harris against Mourad Benshegir followed, the first fight to make it past the opening round.

This proved to be a very intriguing battle, with good performances from those concerned. Harris looked very crisp with his judo throws and ground work, while Benshegir’s ground work only really came to the fore in the third, by which time both fighters looked exhausted.

The judges were called on to render a decision here, with Harris getting the unanimous vote in one of the highlights of the show.

The second fight in a row to make it past the first round saw Peter Duncan take on Daniel Thomas.

Duncan put on a dominant performance here, controlling the fight on the ground. However, late into the second Thomas was able to gain control, and it wasn’t long before he’d locked in a guillotine choke for the submission win. A very good fight here, and another of the highlights.

Normal service, meaning one round fight action, resumed as Ash Gamble took on Yahya Lalanne.

Gamble, making his debut here, looked like a fish out of water as Lalanne quickly took the fight to the ground. He was able to transition at will, and soon moved into a position where he could apply a kimura for the submission win. A good performance from the Frenchman, although you can only really work with what’s put in front of you.

The penultimate fight saw Chris Stringer against Altinezio Neto Minerio. This great fight saw Minerio counter Stringer’s crisp striking with a leg trip. From there we had an exciting ground battle, with plenty of reversals and submission attempts before Stringer was able to take Minerio’s back, locking in a rear naked choke. Impressive stuff.

The main event saw Lloyd Clarkson taking on the Kong man himself, Tom Watson.

This was definitely worth it’s spot on the card, an exciting striking battle with occasional forays into the ground war.

Clarkson put on a good display, but as good as he was Watson was just that much better, and although he suffered a nasty cut himself Watson bloodied Clarkson’s face with some great knees from the muay thai clinch.

Nobody expected Clarkson to survive, but survive he did, and with the fight going the distance the judges were called upon again as they gave Watson the unanimous decision. A great fight, and a fine example of what old Kong is all about.

DVD extras come in the form of a photos section and a musical highlights video.

In conclusion – while there were a few performances that didn’t exactly set my pulse racing, I have to say that this was a good show, and the best one that Tom Tailford gave me to review.

Production-wise it’s you usual standard for a promotion of this size, and unlike Tom’s other DVDs this one contained commentary, from Leigh Remedios and Gareth Piper, although it was difficult to hear what Remedios was saying because his microphone was turned down so low.

The commentary was okay, but I found it annoying when Piper kept referring to some of the fighters as “the Irish guy” or “the French guy”. It was as if he hadn’t learned how to pronounce some of their names.

But overall, while this isn’t up to the standard of a BAMMA or Ultimate Challenge show, it’s still a good spectacle.

With thanks to Tom Tailford for supplying a copy of this release. Atlas Fighting Championship 1 can be purchased by contact Tom via his website, www.fight-factory.co.uk.

It’s time to look at British mixed martial arts action again as we take a look at the latest Ultimate Challenge show, Feel the Pain, shown this past Wednesday on Sky Sports here in Britain, presented by Jason Barrett and Dave O’Donnell, with Rob Nutley, Pierre Guillet and Malcolm Martin handling commentary duties.

The opener saw UK1 kickboxing action as Ashley Pollard faced Mahcin Bahtkiewicz for the Heavyweight title. It was interesting to that they once again used MMA-style gloves instead of traditional boxing gloves. This was a very one sided fight. Mahcin came forward from the opening bell, raining down a torrent of blows as Pollard crumbled. Kicks to the leg sent Pollard down for two eight counts, and when he went down for a third time the referee wisely stopped the giving, giving Mahcin the impressive title win.

After a brief highlights package showing some of the other fights, the kickboxing action continued as Djo Lema faced Scott Jansen for the vacant UK1 Lightweight title. This one had quite a reserved start until Lema suddenly sprang into action, with a big right sending Jansen down for the count. A very good performance from Lema here.

The MMA action began with Jason Ball against Tim Radcliff in the lightweight division. A very enjoyable three rounder saw Radcliffe take control in the first, setting up the take down with a few kicks to Ball’s legs. Once he took it to the ground he put on a tremendous showing, transitioning at will and going for a few submissions. Ball came back well in the second, cutting off the cage well and moving Radcliff into position so he could unload with the big right. The third round was a more even affair, with Ball continuing his good striking work before Radcliff once again took control on the ground. All three judges gave the fight to Radcliff, and although the scores weren’t announced, it would have been interesting to see how close they were.

It was up to the middleweight division for the next fight as Chris Greig went up against Jack Mason. A very cagey fight saw Mason go for a couple of take downs in the first. Greig was able to escape with east, and he soon gained the upper hand in the striking game. It was pretty much the same at the beginning of the second, until Mason pulled guard as he synched in a guillotine choke for the submission win. An interesting fight, but not the most explosive one I’ve seen on an Ultimate Challenge show.

The main event saw the big boys coming out to play as Darren Towler faced Ben Smith in the heavyweight division. With the size of these two it was obvious that this fight wouldn’t go the distance. Smith got the early take down, but Towler quickly reversed and showed some good ground work. Smith soon regained control, and after some ground and pound he took Towler’s back and synched in the rear naked choke for the submission win, ending a very good fight.

In conclusion – another very enjoyable outing from Dave O’Donnell and his crew here. There were some really good fights here, although I must admit that even though I quite like them, I’m starting to find the inclusion of the UK1 kickboxing fights a little bit of a turn off. After all, it does say MMA on the marquee as it were, and I’d rather see more MMA fights on an MMA show.

And did we have to have so many shots of Alex Reid and Katie Price sitting in the audience? That’s one tabloid couple I could do without!

British MMA was on the agenda again as Cage Wars returned to the Extreme Sports channel here in Britain this past Wednesday night with two one hour highlight shows, featuring former UFC stars Jeff Monson and Dan “The Beast” Severn.

The first show featured fights from their Decade show from March 2009, beginning with Jordy Puete against Gary Morris. Morris began this one in somewhat controversial fashion, sucker punching Puete just after they’d touched gloves. The Dutchman had the last laugh though as he locked in an arm bar, with Morris verbally tapping a minute or so later. A good performance by Puete, and serves Morris right for his disrespectful show!

It was up to the middleweight division for the next fight as Lee McKibbin took on Karolis Liukaitis. A fast past back and forth fight saw both men going all out from the bell, with Karolis scoring with the first take down before McKibbin came back strongly with a take down of his own. From there he worked into a position where he could take Karolis’ back, but not even two back slams could shake him off. Indeed, the second one proved to be Karolis’ undoing as McKibbin was finally able to synch in the rear naked choke he’d been working for, quickly getting the submission victory.

Then it was back down to the lightweight division as Daniel Abrol went up against J.C. Pennington. Another of those back and forth affairs that looked quite ragged at times but was enjoyable nonetheless. Abrol put on some good work in the first round, while the second round was a bit of a war, with Abrol on top early on with his wayward striking, before Pennington took the fight to the ground and controlled things from there, eventually getting the submission win with a rear naked choke.

The lightweight action continued as Peter Duncan took on Bryan Goldsby. This proved to be a highly entertaining encounter, with two very good performances. From the moment Goldsby scored with the early take down we saw a great display of ground work from both men. Duncan was able to match the American in this very tight contest, and it looked like it could go either way until Duncan locked in a kimura for a second round submission win.

The main event saw Jeff Monson against Sergej Maslobojev in the heavyweight division. Lots of feeling out at the beginning of this one, but when the fight went to the ground Monson all but dominated. Sergej had his moments with a couple of submission attempts, but it wasn’t enough as Monson locked in an anaconda choke for the second round submission win. A great performance from Monson, who used his experience advantage to good effect here.

The second show featured fights from the Staredown show in March 2008, beginning with Tim Estes against Chris Stringer in the lightweight division. A nice little back and forth affair here saw a rather frantic first round in which both men went all out. However, by the time the second round started the pace slowed down considerably, and even though there wasn’t overly flashy the striking and the ground work looked sound. The judges were called upon to render a decision here, with all three scoring in favour of Stringer.

Middleweight action in the form of Lee McKibbin against James Head followed. This was another of those enjoyable back and forth encounters, with two good performances from those concerned. The first round saw some great ground work, with Head in particular looking pretty impressive. The second saw McKibbin connect with a good shot, only to find himself tapping out to Head’s triangle choke shortly after the fight went to the ground. Some good work from the American here.

It was up a division to light heavyweight for the next fight as Jimmy Mills faced Michael Nichol. A slow paced fight here which went to the ground early saw Mills in the dominant position throughout. There were a few times when it looked like the referee was going to stand the fighters up for inactivity, but these moments were followed by Mills suddenly springing to life, either transitioning to another position or going for a spot of ground and pound, Then, just as the first round was entering it’s final thirty seconds Mills locked in an anaconda choke which Nichol soon tapped out to. Nothing too spectacular here, and the best way to describe Mills’ performance would be workmanlike.

The main event saw Colin Robinson face Dan Severn in the heavyweight division. Now while I admit that I’m a huge fan of the Beast, especially of his professional wrestling work, I haven’t exactly been too impressed his MMA fights over the past few years or so, and while this fight didn’t feature any flashy moves, Severn dominated for the most part, taking Robinson down at will and controlling him on the ground, just doing enough to keep him out of commission using the guard, half guard and side control, delivering a series of fists and knees. It wasn’t flashy, but it was highly effective, and earned the veteran the unanimous decision.

In conclusion – two very enjoyable shows from the Cage Wars crew here, with Decade the best of the two for me. The fights featured all varied from good to great, and it was good to see familiar faces in the form of Monson and Severn. So in all another good advertisement for British mixed martial arts, one I hope that the powers that be at Extreme Sports will repeat soon with other promotions.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!
E-mail: juli316uk@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.twoshedsreview.com
Sponsored by Intimidation Clothing, makers of high quality, affordable MMA apparel and T-shirts. Visit their website at www.intimidationclothing.com.

It was meant to be the biggest fight in British MA history, but the darling of the tabloid press, Alex Reid, got himself injured. But thankfully a new opponent for Tom “Kong” Watson was found in the form of Matt Horwich for BAMMA 3, shown on Bravo this past weekend here in Britain, with Christian O’Connell, Malcolm Martin and Pierre Guillet handing commentary duties.

The show began with welterweight action as Zach Light faced War Machine. I’m assuming that this is just a nickname, unless he’s changed his name legally. Anyway, the Machine certainly lived up to his name here. Light got the only take down of the fight, but the Machine quickly reversed, took Light’s back, and synched in a rear naked choke, which Light soon passed out to, with all of this taking just seventy seconds. Some great action to start the show with.

After highlights of some of the earlier fights it was on to the Lightweight title fight as Rob Sinclair took on Daniel Weichel. Scheduled for five rounds, this one didn’t make it past the first. Sinclair showed some good defensive work when Weichel tried to take him down, and when the fight did go to the ground Sinclair’s good work continued, and it wasn’t long before his ground and pound was too much for the German to handle, with the referee calling a halt to proceedings, giving Sinclair the impressive title retaining TKO win.

More highlights from earlier fights followed, before we moved on to the main event, with Matt Horwich challenging Tom Watson for the Middleweight title. This was the first fight I’ve seen from a British promotion that went five rounds, and it proved to be a very interesting battle, although early on it looked like it wasn’t going to get past the first round. When the fight went to the ground Horwich took Watson’s back and synched in a rear naked choke. Horwich had the hold in for what seemed like an eternity, but Watson didn’t give up, eventually escaping. From there the action progressed nicely into a back and forth affair in which both men had their moments, with the fifth round ending with Watson going for the ground and pound. So with the fight going the distance the judges were called upon to render a decision, with everyone scoring in favour of Watson, ending what was a very good fight.

In conclusion – as Pierre Guillet said on commentary, BAMMA delivered another good show. The past paced action of the two undercard fights made for great viewing, and the Watson/Horwich fight certainly delivered.

However, although I enjoyed the show, I was disappointed that only three fights were shown in full. Maybe next time BAMMA can give us less chat and a little more action.

And maybe next time Alex Reid will train properly, instead of injuring himself on another reality show.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!
E-mail: juli316uk@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.twoshedsreview.com
Sponsored by Intimidation Clothing, makers of high quality, affordable MMA apparel and T-shirts. Visit their website at www.intimidationclothing.com.

British MMA was back on the agenda this past Wednesday night as Ultimate Challenge presented their latest show, Never Back Down, on Sky Sports, hosted by Dave O’Donnell and Jason Barrett, with Rob Nutley and Pierre Guillet handling commentary duties.

The show began with welterweight action, as Dyson Roberts faced Jamaine Facey. This was certainly an explosive encounter. Both guys went at it full tilt from the opening bell, both swinging for the trees, and when the fight went to the ground it was just as frantic. The second round was just as good, and after Roberts scored with another take down, Facey quickly reversed, took his man’s back, and synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win. An explosive and highly enjoyable way to start the show.

It was down to the lightweight division for the next fight, with Djo Lema taking on Scott Jansen. The second fight in a row to be contested at a frantic pace saw both fighters trading blows early on. Lema almost got the submission with an arm bar, which Jansen managed to escape from. Moments later Jansen went for a standing guillotine. Then, he made his mistake, pulling guard. Lema’s head popped out, and seconds later he finally got the arm bar submission he was looking for, ending another great fight.

Then it was on to UK1 kickboxing action, with Luke Sines taking on Mark Epstein in the middleweight division. Interesting to note the change in rules here as the fighters are now allowed to wear MMA-style gloves, instead of the traditional boxing gloves. This was probably the best UK1 fight I’ve seen so far. Epstein did a good job of defending Sines’ kicks early on, but early in the third round Sines connected with a kick to Epstein’s ribs that sent the Beast down. From there it was all Sines, and Epstein looked like a beaten man as Sines earned the unanimous decision.

It was back to MMA action for the next fight, as Reza Meldavian challenged Jimi Manuwa for the Light Heavyweight title. Meldavian did a lot of showboating at the beginning of this one, but a Manuwa left hook to the side of his face put him on his backside and put paid to all of that. From there the fight belonged to the Poster Boy, and a left hook/right uppercut combination sent Meldavian down again, with the referee stepping in when Manuwa went for the ground and pound, keeping Manuwa’s unbeaten record intact with another highly impressive performance.

The main event saw Stav Economu challenge Neil Grove for the Heavyweight title. If ever an MMA fight reminded me of King Kong versus Godzilla then it’s this one. Early in the first Economu knocked Grove down and went for the rear naked choke, and he probably would have got the win had he managed to get the hooks in. From there the two big men unloaded with the heavy artillery, neither unable to put the other away. The fatigue began to show on both fighters as the fight progressed, and it really could have gone either way, but with the fight going the distance the judges were called on to render a decision. One went in favour of Economu, one went in favour of Grove, while the third couldn’t separate them, meaning that the official decision was a split draw, with Grove retaining his title. An exhausting and entertaining fight, but surely these two will be matched up together again.

In conclusion – it’s another strong outing for Dave O’Donnell and his crew. Their latest television offering delivered in spades, with the main event brawl the best spectacle of the night. So this definitely gets the thumbs up as another example of British MMA at it’s best.

THE TWO SHEDS REVIEW by Julian Radbourne – now in it’s 10th year!
E-mail: juli316uk@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.twoshedsreview.com
Sponsored by Intimidation Clothing, makers of high quality, affordable MMA apparel and T-shirts. Visit their website at www.intimidationclothing.com.

When EliteXC went belly up in October 2008, Dave O’Donnell, head of their British affiliate Cage Rage, quickly went into action, dissolving the Cage Rage brand and forming an entirely new company – Ultimate Challenge. Now, having held numerous events, they’ve released their first DVD – Cage Fighting: The Best of Ultimate Challenge. Basically it’s a compilation of what are meant to be their best fights. So what are these fights like then?

Simon Gill v John Joe Ellis (Featherweight)
This one featured some nice ground work from both men, with Gill in particular looking good as he secured the submission win.

Mark Brown v Dominic Plumb (Middleweight)
A blink and you’ll miss it affair sees Plumb getting the quick take down, and going for the ground and pound, soon earning the knockout win with an impressive display.

David Urquhart v Adam Gould (Light Heavyweight)
Gould dropped his man early with a big left, but Urquhart soon reversed positions on the ground. Both fighters were soon back on their feet, where Gould soon secured the knockout win.

Jake Bostwick v Rafik Benziada (Light Heavyweight)
Explosive would be the best way to describe this fight. Controversial would be another. Both guys went at it full tilt, but Benziada took it a little further, earning himself two warnings, one for repeated blows to the back of the head, and another for an eye gouge on the ground. All this seemed to do was spur Bostwick on, and it wasn’t long before e big right sent the Algerian crashing to the ground. So impressive would be another way of describing this fight.

Chris Greg v Tony Pasos (Light Heavyweight)
A more technical and slower paced bout saw Pasos get the early take down, showing some good work on the ground before the referee stood the fighters up. Pasos then went to work again, connecting with some good combinations and knees in the clinch before getting the knockout win in a very enjoyable fight.

Dean Bray v Edgelson Lua (Welterweight)
A one-side affair saw some great defensive work from Lua, but when the fight did go to the ground it was all Lua, transitioning at will until he took Bray’s back and synched in a rear naked choke for the impressive submission win.

Dino Gambaseti v Brad Pickett (Featherweight)
One Punch is perhaps best known to American fans for being on the undercard of Brock Lesnar’s MMA debut, and this fight was a great example of his work. Pickett controlled almost every aspect of the first round, and he would surely have got the submission victory win an arm bar, but time was against him. But having broken a rib in the first, Pickett got the win just seconds into the second with a guillotine choke. You know, Pickett is one of those fighters I could watch all day.

John Joe Ellis v Marcus Thomas (Lightweight)
A better performance for Ellis in his second appearance here. Ellis ducked the taller man’s blows, and dropped Thomas with his first punch, a big right, with the referee stopping the fight soon afterwards.

Luke Smith v Dragos Voiculescu (Lightweight)
The debuting Romanian was completely overwhelmed by Smith. Dragos’ only offence of note was a take down attempt that Smith easily defended. When the fight did go to the ground it wasn’t long before Smith took Dragos’ back, getting the win with a rear naked choke.

Scott Jansen v Edgelson Lua (Welterweight)
Lua’s second appearance here proved to be a very tactical battle with some crisp combinations from both fighters in the first round. But when it went to the ground Lua was clearly the superior fighter, and this showed as he secured the submission victory with a rear naked choke early in the second round.

Jamie Hearn v Jimi Manuwa (Light Heavyweight)
A somewhat bizarre fight here. Hearn injured his right ankle just moving around the cage early on, and despite being in great pain he insisted on carrying on, which proved to be a big mistake. Just seconds later Hearn again turned away in pain, and again he carried on. Manuwa then pounced, and soon applied a guillotine, which Hearn quickly tapped out to, not because of the choke, but because of his injured ankle. I’m not sure why this was included here to be honest.

Mark Weir v Mohamed Khacha (Welterweight)
Weir may be best known to UFC fans for his great performance at their first ever British show way back in 2002. Sadly, things didn’t go to plan for him here, with both men showing some good work before Khacha scored with a second knockdown, before his ground and pound secured the knockout win.

Chris Greg v Kevin Ludick (Light Heavyweight)
A better performance by Greg in his second appearance here, controlling the majority of the fight and looking like he could get the ground and pound win in the first round. Instead, the win came in the second, as Greg secured the win with a key lock.

Giorgio Andrews v David Byfield (Featherweight)
Another one-side battle with Andrews putting on a very impressive performance, controlling everything on the ground. Byfield tried to escape, but Andrew took him straight back down again, and it wasn’t long before he got the submission win with a rear naked choke.

Sami Berick v Afnan Saeed (Lightweight)
A fast paced bout both on the ground and in the stand-up saw both fighters having their moments, before a big left from Berick saw Saeed slumping against the cage, giving him the great looking knockout win.

Jake Bostwick v Marvin Arnold (Light Heavyweight)
Another impressive Bostwick performance saw him knocking down his taller opponent with a big right, with the referee stopping the fight after just thirty second because of Bostwick’s relentless ground and pound.

Dillon Whyte v Mark Stroud (Heavyweight)
Another quickie which saw Stroud trying to trade blows from the off, before a right from Whyte sent him crashing down and out of it. Impressive knockout win from Whyte here.

Neil Grove v James McSweeney (Heavyweight)
Some of you may know McSweeney from his recent stint on The Ultimate Fighter, and he looked as if he was from another weight division compared to the massive Grove. The first round was a frantic back and forth affair. Grove looked great as he lifted McSweeney high into the air before slamming him down, while McSweeney’s ground work was highly impressive. But by the time the second round began both fighters were exhausted, although Grove had just enough energy to get the ground and pound stoppage win.

Jean Silva v A.J. Wren (Lightweight)
A very technical battle saw Silva in a dominant position for most of the fight, showing some very good ground work before securing the win with a side choke midway through the second round.

Jimi Manuwa v Ryan Robinson (Light Heavyweight)
No bizarre happenings in Manuwa’s second fight of the collection, just a great display of striking as he rocked Robinson early, opening up a nasty cut near his right eye. There were brief moments on the ground, but it wasn’t long before Manuwa’s punching power came to the fore again, with the referee stopping the fight because of the damage to Robinson’s eye. An awesome display of striking from Manuwa here.

Jake Bostwick v Alex Reid (Middleweight)
Bostwick’s third appearance of the collection sees him going up against the darling of the tabloid press in a UK1 kickboxing bout. Bostwick came out with all guns blazing, and Reid looked in trouble until a knee to the face sent Bostwick down, and as the referee made his count, Bostwick pulled himself out of the fight.

Jack Mason v Alex Reid (Middleweight)
Another kickboxing outing for Mr. Katie Price, and this time there’s plenty of shots of his famous future wife, and a little controversy as well. Mason put in a very good performance here, opening up a cut above Reid’s right eye. But with the fight going the distance and many thinking that Mason had got the decision, the judges gave it in favour of Reid.

In conclusion – this is a very good collection from Britain’s best MMA promotion, and it’s filled with great fights and great performances. It’s another good advertisement for British mixed martial arts.

Well, for the most part. While the inclusion of two Alex Reid fights is a canny marketing move, those fights aren’t actually that good. It’s as if he’s only been included because of his current high profile.

Then there’s the slight technical issue. There’s no menu on the DVD, which means that you can’t watch an individual fight. For instance, if you want to watch the Reid/Mason fight, the last fight of the collection, you have to forward through every other fight to get there.

There’s also the slightly misleading packaging. It states that the collection lasts for four hours, when it actually lasts a tad over three. I know, it’s a minor thing for some, but it’s something that really annoys me at times.

So does this get the thumbs up? Yes, yes it does, because it’s an example that British MMA isn’t all about Alex Reid. The majority of the action here should easily satisfy any fight fan’s appetite.

With thanks to the powers that be at Ultimate Challenge for supplying a copy of this release. Cage Fighting: The Best of Ultimate Challenge is available at all major DVD stockists.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews and articles at www.twoshedsreview.com.

British mixed martial arts returned to the Extreme Sports channel here in Britain recently as Cage Wars presented their Nightmare show from last November. The show was split over the past two Saturdays, and featured Jay Adams, Graham Little and Jude Samuels on commentary, with a guy I haven’t seen since my days in the British wrestling business, “Hardcore” John Atkins, as the master of ceremonies.

Part one began with Radek Rychlak taking on Ryan Boyd in the heavyweight division. A somewhat scrappy fight to begin with, with both men swinging for the trees, looking for the knockout. Round two was a much more technical battle as Rychlak first went for a kimura, then a key lock, before finally getting the submission with a rear naked choke. I was really ready to criticise this one, but the Pole’s good ground work in the second turned it for me.

Then it was on to Colin Neeson against Jonny McGillion in the featherweight division. This was a far superior fight, with better stand up and exceptional ground work, with Neeson putting in a great performance, almost getting the win with a kimura on a couple of occasions. The fight went the two round distance, and no surprise with the decision as all the judges scored in favour of Neeson.

Next up, Ali McClean facing Julien Dennis at lightweight. A one-sided fight saw McClean coming forward from the off, quickly flooring Dennis before going to work on the ground. The Frenchman went for a guillotine briefly, but it wasn’t long before McClean applied the d’arce choke for the submission win. McClean looked great here, a really impressive performance from the Irishman. Poor Dennis though didn’t know what hit him!

Next, Ben Boekee against Hugh Brady in the featherweight division. A very good fight saw Boekee putting on a good display of ground work, going for numerous submissions. Brady, in turn, showed some great defensive work as he managed to escape from all of those submission attempts. Brady took control in the final round as his ground and pound opened up a nasty cut under the Dutchman’s right eye. So with the fight going the distance, the decision was split in favour of Boekee. Two good performances here, and a good decision from the judges.

Part two began with Jordy Peute taking on Neil Seery in another featherweight fight. A pretty even first round saw some good ground work from both men, with Seery in particular looking impressive. However, the fight came to a quick end just fifteen seconds into the second as Peute applied the knee bar for the submission win.

Then it was on to Daniel Thomas against Duane van Helvoirt in the lightweight division.  For some reason the introductions and beginning of this fight were missing, although we did see a good performance from Thomas as he secured the submission win with a guillotine.

Colin McKee against Neydson Santos Ferreira at welterweight followed. Another of those one-sided affairs saw McKee coming forward early with some good combinations, with Ferreira turning his back and running away at one point. The end came when a relentless onslaught of blows from McKee saw Ferreira go down to his knees and unable to defend himself, with the referee stepping in and giving McKee the very impressive TKO win.

Up next, Lee McKibbin taking on John Lober in the middleweight division. The proverbial blink and you’ll miss it affair. A sweep from McKibbin caught Lober off guard, and seconds later he applied a standing guillotine for the quick submission win. Impressive stuff from McKibbin.

The main event saw Chris Stringer facing Rich Clementi in a catchweight fight, made at 160. This was the first fight of the two shows that saw any sort of feeling out, as Stringer circled the cage, frustrating his more experienced opponent, especially when Stringer caught one of Clementi’s kicks and took him down. But from there it was all Clementi as he reversed his position and took the mount, going for an arm bar as the first round ended. Clementi cemented his dominance in the second, controlling every aspect on the ground and getting the submission win with a triangle choke, putting the cap on a very good performance.

In conclusion – my first experience of a Cage Wars show has been a good one. Apart from the slightly disappointing opener, every fight delivered, and although there were no real stand out performances, that didn’t really matter.

Production-wise it was very good. The commentators knew their stuff and did a good job of putting the fighters over. The production values were what you’d expect from a British promotion getting exposure on television.

So in all a very good and a very enjoyable show, and I hope that Extreme Sports show more of the Cage Wars product in the future, instead of relying on old Cage Rage repeats.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews and articles @ www.twoshedsreview.com

I’m going to stick with mixed martial arts action for my next review as I once again dip into the pile of DVD’s sent to me by Tom Tailford of A1 Productions. This time we’re going back to February 2008 and Pride & Glory’s Battle in the Boro show, held at the Eston Sports Academy in Middlesbrough.

The show began with Roy Tasker taking on Sean Pierra. This one went to the ground quickly, with Pierra quickly taking the mount. Tasker seemed completely lost as Pierra quickly moved into position for the arm bar, with Tasker quickly tapping. Pierra looked good, but Tasker looked very weak.

Stuart Chase against another Pierra, Gina, was up next. The proverbial blink and you’ll miss it affair. Pierra knocked Chase down, quickly took his back and synched in a rear naked choke for the submission win. Quick, explosive and impressive stuff from Pierra here.

Maran Polczyk against Ben Wakefield was next. Another fight that quickly went to the ground saw some good work from Polczyk as he quickly moved to the guard. Wakefield tried to escape, but Polczyk quickly took him back down again. Polczyk showed some more great work, almost getting the win with an arm bar, before finally putting his man away with a rear naked choke. This was a really impressive performance from Polczyk, and also very enjoyable.

Then it was on to Richard Taylor taking on Mac McCaughey. The longest fight of the show so far saw both fighters coming out swinging. A couple of clinches against the cage followed before Taylor pulled guard, although it wasn’t long before the referee stood them up. After a third clinch the fight went to the ground again, with Taylor securing the win with a kimura. This was a little messy at times, and their stand up sills left a lot to be desired.

Jason Muldoon against Aaron Nesbitt was next. A nice little back and forth encounter saw Nesbitt come out with all guns blazing, rocking Muldoon with a torrent of blows. It looked as if he was going to get the ground and pound win until Muldoon managed to reverse his position. The back and forth action continued for a few more minutes until Muldoon locked in an arm bar for the submission win. Now this was more like it. A very exciting fight with two good performances. Nice stuff.

Will Brookes against Ernesto Adao followed. Brookes went for the take down straight away here, with Adao defending well until he pulled guard and went for a guillotine. Brookes eventually managed to escape, but he soon found himself in Adao’s triangle, unable to escape and tapping out, giving Adao the impressive submission win.

Then it was on to Peter Wilson taking on David Smyth. The only fight of the show to go into the second round proved to be a very tactical affair. There was no rushing into things here as both guys looked good throughout with their striking and ground work. The end came towards the end of the second when Smyth took Wilson’s back, eventually locking in a rear naked choke for the submission win, ending a very good back and forth encounter.

Then it was on to Pawel Morawski and Grant Hocking. This was another of those fights that featured some wild swinging, both in and stand up and with Morawski’s ground and pound. Hocking floundered around on the mat like a fish out of water as Morawski  went for the win, so it came as no surprise when Morawski was able to take his back so he could synch in a rear naked choke for the submission win. Well, I’ve seen better.

Zbigniew Kroll against Simon Phillips was next. The all round action here was a lot better than in the previous fight, especially on the ground, where Phillips was able to reverse his position before locking in an arm bar for the submission win. Good performances from both fighters here, and it was a shame that there could be only one winner.

Up next was Stephen Moore against Steve Dawson. Another blink and you’ll miss it affair saw the fight go to the ground straight away. Moore tried to control Dawson’s body, but Dawson managed to get in a few punches, and one punch to the eye was too much for Moore as he tapped out. Well, it was okay I suppose, but I have to wonder how long it would have gone without that eye punch.

Then it was on to Liam Shannon taking on Konrad Norwacki. A very good fight here, which saw Shannon coming forward early with some well placed punches and kicks, before the fight went to the ground, where Shannon’s control continued. Try as he might, Norwacki just couldn’t escape from Shannon’s relentless ground and pound, and as he turtled up the referee stepped in, giving Shannon the impressive stoppage win.

Martin Stapleton took on Ingolf Nelson next. This was a pretty one side fight. As soon as the action went to the ground Stapleton went to work with the ground and pound, and it wasn’t long before Nelson’s face was a red and bloody mess, and when it became obvious that Nelson couldn’t handle the attack his corner spared him any more damage by throwing in the towel. Good work from Stapleton, although Nelson looked lost from the outset.

The penultimate fight saw Krysztof Anuszewski take on Kevin Thompson. This was another fight that featured some wild blows, but Thompson’s were connecting. Anuszewski was actually running away at one point, but they soon went to the ground where Thompson took Anuszewski’s back, raining down a torrent of blows until the referee put an end to Anuszewski’s defenceless suffering as Thompson earned the impressive stoppage win. Remember folks – running away during an MMA fight is not the sign of a winner.

The final encounter saw Sandy Geddes going up against Matt Howard. Another one sided affair saw Howard take Geddes down early, quickly getting the win with his relentless ground and pound, the referee stepping in once again to end the onslaught. Another example of a one guy looking great while the other looked poor.

In conclusion – normally these A1 Production DVDs take me two nights to review, but seeing as how only one fight made it past the first round I was in for an early night. This DVD was another example of the good and the bad. Some of the fighters here looked great, but others were definitely less so, looking decidedly undercooked as it were with their poor boxing skills and their inability to mount any sort of offence. But then again, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Production wise, it’s okay, nothing overly flashy here, but the lack of ring introductions and on screen graphics telling you who was who as they entered the cage could make this rather confusing and annoying for some. Once again I was forced to use the MMA Universe archive to find out who was who.

So does this get the thumbs up? Well, just about. It’s okay I suppose but there are certainly better shows from A1 available.

With thanks to Tom Tailford for supplying a copy of this release. If you would like to purchase a copy of Pride & Glory: Battle in the Boro, Tom can be contacted via www.fight-factory.co.uk.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews and articles @ www.twoshedsreview.com.

This past week saw the return of mixed martial arts to Sky Sports here in Britain with Adrenaline Rush, the latest offering from Ultimate Challenge, hosted by O.J. Borg and Dave O’Donnell, with Rob Nutley, Pierre Guillet and Malcolm Martin handling commentary duties.

The show began with Jake Bostwick facing Denniston Sutherland in the light heavyweight division. Coverage of this fight began in the second round. This proved to be a nice back and forth encounter, with Sutherland putting in some good ground and pound work in the second before Bostwick managed to get to his feet. The third looked more even with both men putting in some good work on the ground, before an inadvertent low blow late on. Then, in the dying seconds, a hard blow by Sutherland dropped Bostwick. The decision went in favour Bostwick, although it really could have gone either way.

The big boys were up next, heavyweight action featuring Jamie Hearn and Ben Smith. This one promised much, but was ended early because of injury. Hearn did well to avoid a couple of take downs early on before Smith eventually got the move he wanted. Hearn then showed some great defensive work, but a shoulder injury ended his night, giving Smith the win. An unfortunate ending, so hopefully we’ll see these two matched up again in the future.

Then it was on to the first title fight of the evening, with James Saville taking on Dave Lee for the vacant Featherweight title. This one went to the ground straight away and saw some great reversals and transitions from both men, before Lee locked in a triangle choke. Saville didn’t tap, and the referee stopped the fight when Saville passed out, giving Lee the impressive title win.

The title action continued as Michael Pastou challenge Francis Heagney for the Lightweight title. The second fight of the show to be clipped was a great technical battle. Pastou looked great until he began to tire in the middle of the third, when Heagney was able to assert control by taking his man’s back. Pastou’s earlier work was enough to earn him the decision, and the title, ending a very good fight.

The main event saw Mark Weir tackling Jack Mason for the vacant Middleweight title. This was the complete opposite of Weir’s last Ultimate Challenge performance. He more or less dominated the fight, showing great take down defence and some good work on the ground. Mason’s best moment was when he went for a guillotine in the second, but Weir managed to escape, and as the round entered it’s last minute Weir took Mason’s back, and got the win and the title when the referee stopped the fight with Mason failing to defend himself against Weir’s ground and pound. This was a really impressive performance from Weir.

In conclusion – I seem to have been spoiled for MMA action in the past couple of days. After watching the great Strikeforce Challengers show, Ultimate Challenge’s latest offering proved to be just as good. The only downside was the edits, which really could have been avoided with a longer time slot. So if you’re reading this anyone at Sky Sports, give us what we want, a two hour time slot for Britain’s best mixed martial arts promotion.

Don’t forget to check out my other reviews @ www.twoshedsreview.com